Rear tension strut bushing removal - difficult?

[zak]

Planning a complete rear suspension rebuild, which is going to include new frame end and hub/knuckle end tension strut bushings.

Are the knuckle end bushings hard to remove on the rear? Does it require a press/done off the car?

 

[K-Dawg]

Not at all. They will fall right off after you take it apart.

 

[zak]

Thanks Kelvin. Other than potential rot issues at the frame mount location, are there any other surprises at that end?

 

[operdot]

The strut rod itself tends to rot where the bushings sit and resemble a bone that a dog's been chewing on.

 

[SHObill]

Not at all. They will fall right off after you take it apart.

Hah! never seen a rear strut rod not eaten half away by rust under the bushings! Unless car has very low mileage & been in AZ all its life!

 

[ShadetreeSHOguy]

Hah! never seen a rear strut rod not eaten half away by rust under the bushings! Unless car has very low mileage & been in AZ all its life!

Or in Ga or Florida

 

[Racer X]

I would put in a call to Kurt now for replacement rear tension arms from the Pac NW. You're are going to be crap when you pull them off if that has been a CT car it's whole life.

 

[zak]

Thanks folks, already planning on having good tension struts on hand. That is partly the reason for my question, am going to try to get the yard to include the (low mileage SHO, in this case) bushings with the trailing arms.

My car has been in CT since brand new, but always garage kept.

 

[Racer X]

Don't use the Moog TPR bushings. They're susceptible to cold flow like no other.

On the rear lower control arms/ lateral links...

Again, if the car is a NE car, rust free or not, I strongly suggest you don't try to pull those arms off of the spindles. Just leave well enough alone. I learned this lesson the hard way before the convention, just ask Fonz and Andrew.

 

[shotime1994]

Don't use the Moog TPR bushings. They're susceptible to cold flow like no other.

On the rear lower control arms/ lateral links...

Again, if the car is a NE car, rust free or not, I strongly suggest you don't try to pull those arms off of the spindles. Just leave well enough alone. I learned this lesson the hard way before the convention, just ask Fonz and Andrew.

Listen to what Hamal is saying. Get the rear tension rods from SHOSOURCE BEFORE you start this project.

 

[zak]

Thanks folks, already planning on having good tension struts on hand.

So what happens when one pulls the lateral (trialing?) links? I have new Ford bolts, and a set of Ingals control arms, and an H brace waiting, along with some OEM E-brake cables.

Kamal thanks had hear the TPR bushings were a tad overrated, thus the search for OEM SHO bushings.

 

[K-Dawg]

So what happens when one pulls the lateral (trialing?) links? I have new Ford bolts, and a set of Ingals control arms, and an H brace waiting, along with some OEM E-brake cables.

What do you mean? Sounds like you are good to go. For me, the worst part of this job is getting the tension strut in and out of the knuckle. Not that it's difficult to do, but with the suspension at full droop, the tension strut wants to be at ride height.

 

[Racer X]

So what happens when one pulls the lateral (trialing?) links? I have new Ford bolts, and a set of Ingals control arms, and an H brace waiting, along with some OEM E-brake cables.

Kamal thanks had hear the TPR bushings were a tad overrated, thus the search for OEM SHO bushings.

If you're extremely lucky, the bolts at the spindles won't be corroded to the point where they've lost 1/2 their mass and circumference inside of the bushing and will be reusable. If they're not corroded, they're reusable. You've lucked out. If they are corroded, they're (a) not reusable, and (b) likely fused permanently into the spindles, making them impossible to replace. They'll either need to be drilled out, or the spindles replaced.

I had to replace my spindles when I installed my Ingalls arms. On the replacement spindles (from my new rust free car), only 1 of the 4 bolts that secure the lateral links to the spindle were able to be removed; luckily the bolts were otherwise in good shape and reusable.

 

[pjtoledo]

Don't use the Moog TPR bushings. They're susceptible to cold flow like no other.

On the rear lower control arms/ lateral links...

Again, if the car is a NE car, rust free or not, I strongly suggest you don't try to pull those arms off of the spindles. Just leave well enough alone. I learned this lesson the hard way before the convention, just ask Fonz and Andrew.

there is a method where you pound a sacrifical 1/8" screwdriver blade into the split parallel to the bolt to expand the sleeve. still needs lots of "custom massaging" and it's a PITA too.

Perry

 

[NoSlo]

I would put in a call to Kurt now for replacement rear tension arms from the Pac NW. You're are going to be crap when you pull them off if that has been a CT car it's whole life.

My car must be so happy that it doesn't live back East. I just took on the project of pressing adjustment cams into the outer ends of the lower control arms, and the tension rod nuts just came right off as expected. Rods still have black paint with no rust and the rubber bushings looked just fine for reusing, with no deformation.